How long do you make our kids wait after insulin before they can take their shower or bath?

My diabetes book says to wait, but doesn't give an actual time.

ecs1516

11-10-2008, 08:25 AM

We don't wait. If we were supposed too I don't know about it.

danismom79

11-10-2008, 08:28 AM

We wait 30 min-1 hour for a bath. I don't usually have her wait for a shower. In either case, I like to get her in there before the insulin if possible.

Emma'sDad

11-10-2008, 08:31 AM

That's the first I've heard of that. With everybody running around our house, we take it when we can. If there would be waiting involved, we'd all end up stinking! :)

zell828

11-10-2008, 08:32 AM

On MDI we waited at least 30 minutes to an hour too. Never had trouble then.

Yesterday on the pump I think we should have waited longer. We did set change at 8:30, she had breakfast at 9am, then she was in the tub at 10:15 am. She came out, tested, 144. Good right? Well, 30 minutes later she was at 41 :( I am thinking the combination of set change, bolus at 9am and then warm bath did it.

aidensmom

11-10-2008, 10:03 AM

Our CDE always told us to wait an hour before and after insulin had been given before giving a bath (I think there is something about it in the Pink Panther book too). We did follow that rule for the first 6 months or so, but now we just try to wait 1 hour after giving Humalog before a bath. Sometimes we'll give Lantus soon after DS gets out of the tub. Occassionally we'll give a shower when it has not been an hour. Never had any trouble so far, but I guess YDMV.

Rusty

11-10-2008, 11:15 AM

I always wait at least an hour. He usually gets his bath before bed which is about 3 hrs after his dinner shot.

BozziesMom

11-10-2008, 11:37 AM

A hot shower or bath will open up the blood vessels causing the insulin to move through rapidly. It's a trick used for other meds that need to move through quickly such as antibiotics - get in a hot bath and rush the meds through the body.

Hence, the waiting. You don't want the full bolus running through at high speed all at once. You'll end up low.

ecs1516

11-10-2008, 12:27 PM

My kids always go lower with they take a hot shower no matter when insulin has been given. I can really see that now with a CGM in the bathroom!

TerpSteph

11-10-2008, 02:11 PM

With MDI, Matt will either shower before breakfast on a school day or he'll wait an hour after taking insulin on the weekend. (I'll usually send him to mow the grass or something else that would require a shower afterwards. ;))

He's going to start pumping soon, so I have a question. Since he's always going to be getting some basal through the pump, does the need to wait only apply to meal or correction boluses? How do you handle missed basal when the pump is disconnected for bathing? Do you give a bolus for the missed basal after the shower?

mom2two

11-10-2008, 02:29 PM

We usually wait at least an hour, I prefer to wait at least 2 though.

ecs1516

11-10-2008, 02:54 PM

We have never had a problem with missed insulin with a shower. I used to give what was missed when they took a bath when they were little. They never go high after the shower. The Cozmo has a disconnect feature now that keeps track of what you missed even allowing you to give a percentage up front before and the % you want given back after. We mainly use that for pool.

luvmyboyz

11-10-2008, 03:53 PM

We wait 15 min. after a bath to give insulin.
We wait 60-90 min. after giving insulin to get a bath.
It is in the Pink Panther book.

wilf

11-11-2008, 01:11 AM

On MDI, you want to make sure the bath is many hours before the Lantus, because the hot water can activate much of the Lantus and cause it to act at once. Then you get a low which can be pretty bad, followed by a stubborn high.

We try to make sure it's 2 hours after the supper injection before DD has a bath, that way there's just not that much of the bolus insuling left working. We always send a snack in with her.